Olivia Favero and Cardyn Clem were the 2021-22 season queens

BY KENDAL RAE JENSEN

Weber County has a rich history of cultivating the best of the best from participants of the youth programs available in our area. Weber County junior posse, Weber County horse and livestock 4H, youth rodeos, open horse shows, and the plentiful barrel racing and team roping jackpots create an environment ripe with opportunities for horsemanship, training, and knowledge development within our youth. These programs have created many youth and young adults that have found success in programs like Miss Rodeo Utah, Miss Rodeo America, the Utah Junior and High School Rodeo Associations, College Rodeo, and Pro Rodeo.

Two of those recent success stories come from our own Western Weber County. Olivia Favero from Taylor was named the 2021-22 Utah High School Rodeo Queen and Cardyn Clem from West Warren was named the Utah Junior High School Rodeo Queen for the 2021-22 season. Having both state title holders from Western Weber County shows what a rich environment we have right in our backyard.

UHSRA Queen Olivia Favero started competing in rodeo queen pageants in Weber County when she was just eight years old. She started Weber County Horse 4H when she was 10 years old with long time 4H leader Connie Neal. She says the opportunities to participate in 4H study nights, Horse Bowl competitions, and horsemanship practices helped her gain the skills needed to compete and win at the state level. She was also named the 1st Attendant to the National High School Rodeo Queen, a coveted title of more than 40 other competitors from around the world. One of her favorite memories from her reign this year is getting to model for her favorite designer at the National Finals Rodeo and Miss Rodeo America pageant in Las Vegas in December.

The Utah High School Rodeo Association rodeo queen pageants are also very unique compared to other states. In most other states, there are only pageants held at the district and state level before state title holders are sent to the national competition. In Utah, there are pageants held almost every high school rodeo weekend. This opportunity gives the girls many chances to compete in different areas of the state, with different girls and judges each weekend. The feedback they get from a variety of judges, the ample practice they get at each competition, and environments they compete in sharpen their skills beyond belief. This is why Utah always has the cream of the crop at the national level. We have had many winners of the Miss Rodeo America and National High School Rodeo Queen titles from Utah, many of those from the Weber County area.

UJHSRA Queen Cardyn Clem has a strong family legacy of participants in Weber County youth programs. Her mom grew up in 4H and junior posse, and her Grandma Judy has been a 4H leader for many, many years, mentoring hundreds of youth through the program. She remembers looking up to the rodeo queens in these programs and at the Ogden Pioneer Days Rodeo as a little girl. She says that being able to fulfill that role now for other little girls is her favorite part of being a rodeo queen. She started her journey at eight years old in 4H, junior posse, and youth rodeo. She says these programs helped her become the rider she is today and are valuable resources for the future of our youth.

In June, both Olivia and Cardyn handed down their titles to successors. They have long roads of successes in front of them, and we wish them the very best in their endeavors!

The 2022-23 Utah Junior High Rodeo Queen is Hadlee Jo Kotter of Cache Valley, and the 2022-23 Utah High School Rodeo Queen is none other than Weber County resident Addison Redd of South Ogden. She is also a long time Weber County youth program participant and will represent Utah at the National High School Finals Rodeo in Gillette, Wyoming, July 17-23. We wish her all of the luck in the world in bringing home the national crown to Utah!

MORE INFO

TO GET INVOLVED with these programs, please see contact information below:

Weber County 4H
extension.usu.edu/weber/4h/
(801) 399-8202
krista.zwart@usu.edu

Weber County Junior Posse
Rachel Larsen – (801) 529-5855

Utah Youth Rodeo Association
President Gary Grant
(801) 710-9673
uyraentries.com

Turn Pro Barrel Racing Association
turnprojackpots.com

Rocky Mountain Barrel Racing Association
Debbie Conley
racing.rockymtnbarrels.com
rockymtnbarrels@gmail.com
(801) 726-5515

Catch for Cash Team
Roping Jackpots
Kailey Mitton – (801) 389-4220